Editors and Writers discussion
What questions do you have about editing?
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Michelle,Another good discussion topic that you handled beautifully on your blog. Another question that seems to come up often is "What is the difference between proofreading and editing?" And that (ideally) leads to an explanation of the different kinds of editing.
Ruth
Have you written a post for aspiring editors? It's incredibly hard to find information on how to become an editor, and I've even struggled with finding books on the subject, especially for editing fiction. The Copyeditor's Handbook is extremely helpful, but it doesn't cover things like dialogue.
Hi Serena,What kind of help are looking for? Getting started? Finding clients? Or improving your editorial skills?
Or something else?
I might have some resources I can point you to.
Serena,You might try *The Editor's Guide to Working with Authors* by Barbara Sjoholm. I haven't read it through yet, but it is aimed at those who work with fiction authors. Ms. Sjoholm also offers classes, or at least she used to do.
Ruth
Mod
Thank you for the book suggestions!Michelle, I'm mostly looking for resources on how to improve my editing skills, as what little I've done thus far is in journalism. I just started volunteer copyediting to get some experience, and working on the first book has brought up a few unanswered questions.
Hey Serena,I second the book recommendations, especially "Self-Editing for Fiction Writers". Another good one is (actually two) "English Syntax" and "Connecting for Coherence" - both by Dick Heaberlin. There are even practice tests you can take to see how your skills are improving, or where they're lacking. (I believe Self-Editing for Fiction Writers has exercises as well.)
You can find proofreading tests all over the Internet too, like this one: http://www.copyediting.co.uk/test.htm...
Continued education is also an option... and writing! Write your own work to keep your mind sharp and to stay attuned to the "beats" of prose.
It's also important as an editor to keep up with the publishing world, as well as your competition. When you're not editing or finding clients, you should be researching like crazy.
And remember to keep it FUN. :) I hope this helps??
-MJ
Mod
Hi Lin,I leave it up to the author. I have some clients that just want the story fixed - they don't care to see what's been changed, and they give me complete freedom to change whatever I want.
I also have clients who are the exact opposite. They're open to suggestions, but don't want me to actually change anything myself. Punctuation edits can be made, but they want to see where and how I've made those edits. They are hesitant to make any big developmental changes. The manuscript tends to move back and forth a couple of times.
Either way, it is very much a collaborative effort, and it takes a good bit of discussion between author and editor to strike the right balance.
Lin,I've also found that over the course of a long edit, what the author wants may change. Once she or he has come to trust you, the editor, you may have more leeway to make changes. For instance, once you have convinced your author that the judicious use of semi-colons can make the difference between clarity and chaos, you may be given free reign to add them at will.
Lin and Michelle,
Thank you for the additional sources. I'll add those to my wish list.
MIchelle,
You wrote "When you're not editing or finding clients, you should be researching like crazy." This may be a silly question, but how do you do your research? Do you go for informational interviews? Are there magazines you read? Do you ransack the Internet?
Ruth
Hi Ruth,Yeah, sometimes I do just ransack the Internet. ;) Ha ha! But mostly I read, read, read. Books on writing. Books on editing. Books about publishing. All kinds of blogs. I also keep up with Writers Market (http://www.writersmarket.com/) and talk to writers and agents online via social media.
Now, I'll be honest, I don't do a lot of this. But you might be surprised how much you learn in 15 minutes or so a day of perusing. :)
MJ
Carole,More excellent information! Thank you. How are you liking the class you're taking now? And have taken any of the EFA courses?
Ruth
You can view the full article here: http://www.mjbookeditor.com/blog/
If you have any other questions or you'd like more detail, just leave me a comment and we'll discuss! :)
Happy writing!
-MJ